Rod-fastening clip



Dec. 21 1926.

F. SCHIRMER ROD FASTENING CLIP Filed July 5, 1924 INKENTOR. I. Schirmrr A TTORNEYS Patented Dec. 21 1926.

tlNl'i'ED STATES PTENT oFrics.

FREDERICK SCHIBMJER, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO.

ROD-FASTENING CLIP.

Application filed July 3,

Among the objects of the invention is to provide a fastening clip of this character which is extremely inexpensive in its con struction, which can be applied with great rapidity, which provides a firm support for the rod, and which also provides for the rod being readily detached from the support when this is desired.

In building construction metal lathe is ordinarily secured to socall-ed pencil rods which are attached to the bottom portions of metal joists. Variousmeans have been heretofore utilized for securing the pencil rods to the joists and this is usually done by means of a strip of sheet metal which has one end thereof attached to the joist, the other end of the strip being adapted to be coiled around the pencil rod. The winding or coiling of the metal strips around the pencil rods consumes a considerable amount of time and causes the workman to make rather slow progress on the job. The fastcning clips of the present invention are admirably adapted for use in securing these pencil rods to the metal joists and the clips can be applied with such rapidity that the workman can put up the pencil rods in much less time than would be required to twist the usual metal strips around the pencil rods.

One particular embodiment of the invention has been shown and described for illustrative purposes, although it will be understood that many modifications and changes can be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit of the invention.

For a full understanding of the invention reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a metal joist having a pencil rod attached thereto by means of a clip constructed in accordance with the invention. the clip being shown by dotted lines in the position assumed when the hooked end thereof is flexed preparatory to placing it in engage- 1924, Serial no 724,172.

ment with the joist or disengaging it therefrom.

Flgure 2 1s a transverse sectional View through the metal joist, showing the man ner in which the hooked portions of the clip engage the upper edges of the'joist flanges. Figure 3 is a detached view of the clip. Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated on all of the views of the drawing by like reference characters.

For illustrative purposes the clip is shown as utilized for securing a pencil rod to a metal joist, the pencil rod being designated by the reference character A and the metal joist being designated by the reference character B. The joist is of the usual construction, being substantially in the form of an I-be am and having flanges b at the marginal portions of the top and bottom thereof' The clip constitutes in effect a stirrup hanger for supporting the pencil rod from the metal joist and holding it in a firm engagement with a the bottom thereof. As shown on the drawing the clip is adapted to be formed of a single length of spring wire and includes a hanger arm 1 having a hooked end 2 which is adapted to fit around the upper edge of one of the flanges b of the joist. The hanger l is of a suflicient length to extend slightly below the bottom of the joist and a resilient arm 3 projects laterally from the lower'end thereof, being connected thereto by a bight portion 4, which forms a seat to receive the pencil rod A. The free end of the resilient arm 3 is angularly deflected at 3 and terminates in an upwardly projecting hook element 5 which is adapted to engage the upper edge of the joist flange b at a distance from the hanger arm 1.

The angular bend in the resilient arm causes the body portion 3 thereof to assume a position at an acute angle to the hanger arm 1, so that the bight portion 4; of the clip will effectively engage the pencil rod A and hold it at the lower end of the hanger arm 1, thereby causing most of the load upon the pencil rod to be supported directly by the hanger arm. The bight portion 4 of the clip extends downwardly below the bottom of the metal joist a sufficient distance to receive the pencil rod A, and after the pencil rod has been placed in position the resilient arm 23 obtains a bearing thereon virtually constitutmg a fulcrum so-that it is necessary to flex the same upwardly"in'order to spring thehook element 5 over the flange b and bring it into engagement with the upper edge there of. The inherent resiliency of the clip then acts to clamp the pencil rod against the bottom of the metal post and hold it in a iii-in engagement therewith. On Figure l the position of the clip when it is fleXedoirth'e rod" A as a fulcrum for bringing it into, or out of engagementhvith the flange of the post, is

though it will be obvious that. a heavier or a lighter wire may be used? ifit is thoiightdesirable to do so;

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire'to secure by Let ters Patent is,

1. As. a new article of manufacture,a joist clip comprising a body portion having a hanger arm at one'end't-hereoi" anda hook element at its other end, saidibody portion being bent intermediate its ends to provide a resilient bearing-portion in the plane'ot the arm and hook element! :2. Asa new article at mz'inu-iactu're, a joist clip for connecting pencil rods tojoists composed of a single piece of resilient wire, said wire being bent upwardly at one end to form a hanger arm, and at its other end t'o form a hook, said wire being ,alsobent upiardly intermediate its length substantially in the rod being held in the high-t between the re the resiliency thereof.

plane of the arm to form a rod receiving seat adjacent to the arm and a tensioning spring connecting the hook and arm.

3.111 combination, a metal joist having a vertical flange portion, a pencil rod transverse vto the joist beneath the said flange, and a clip connecting the joist and rod, said clip embodyinga hanger arm having a hook engaging over said flange, a resilient arm projecting laterally from the hanger arm and cooperating therewith to provide a bight por tion adapted to receive therod andiulcrum thereon, said resilient-armbeing formed with a bend whereby the body portion'thereof is disposed at an acute angle to the hangerarm, and a hookat the free end of the resilient arm which is adapted to engage. the flange,

whereupon the resilient arm is her-zed and the resiliency thereof utilized for clamping-the rod against the joist, the hanger arm and lateral arm being disposed in a plane parallel to that of the vertical flange.

e. In combination a metal joist formed with a longitudinally extending flange portion, a pencil rod extendingunder the joist transversely thereof, and a clip for connecting the pencil rodwith the "joist,said clip en'ibodying a resilient arm formingits middle portion and disposed beneath the pencil rod, and hook elements 'extendinglaterally from opposite'ends of the resilient arm and adapted to engage over the edge of the flange, the resilient arm'and shank portions of the hook elements being arranged in a plane parallel to that of the flange and the silient arm and one or" the" hook elements -whereby when'the other hook element is engaged with the flange the arm will be'flexed' and the pencil rod'held against the joist by In testimony whereof I aflix 'my signature.

FREDERICK SCHIRMER. 

